Wood Vendors supplies alder not only in lumber form, but also alder s4s (surfaced four sides), in both knotty and superior grades as well as alder mouldings, alder plywood, alder panels and T&G. Discussion in 'Musicians Corner' started by fallen2289, Aug 7, 2006. I remember being in a guitar store 10 years later and there was one for $4,500! We have full chain of custody on all our woods, to know exactly where they came from right from the beginning. On Alder, the grain is closed, making it a good candidate for amateurs and budding luthiers. It is lightweight, has beautiful grain patterns, and gives a warm sound with plenty of highs. 20 watching. The latter is more commonly used, and was chosen by Leo Fender for his first Esquire, Broadcaster and Telecaster guitars. Copyright ©2020. “There’s a company called Roots Of Rock and I believe they’ve found one strain of ash that’s resistant to that Borer beetle. “There will be a day where there’s nothing left, and we’ve known this for three or five years. You can set the conditions for storage and access to cookies in your browser settings. Thanks. Wet alder smokes a lot and leaves behind a lot of ash. Every piece of wood is different. How does an alder body guitar sound when the neck is all maple compared to a maple neck with rosewood finger board? Its other wood properties like its ideal color, wood structure, softness, reluctance to swelling and shrinkage make alder suitable for making guitars. This can be attractive to those of us in our waning years, looking for ways to preserve our backs! Also known in the guitar trade as Korina. szt. The alder wood itself has a soft to medium quality toughness. The great thing about working at Fender is nothing is more than a few screws away, you can always swap things around! Alder is a domestic wood from North America A soft, relatively low-strength, straight-grained, even-textured wood. Like Alder, the tone of Ash is musical and well-balanced, with perhaps just a little more “pop”. Alder wood is easy to machine and finishes well. - might be easier to ding or indent if hit). Occasional logs have a dark colored heart which produces what we call Black Limba. These larger rings and sections add to its strength, and the complexity of the tones. The guitar will have an HH configuration and the humbuckers I'm going to use are HOT. He used materials that were widely available. Ooop! A lot of people vote with their eyes… ash has a much more pronounced, swirling grain pattern compared to alder, which is more uniform in its look. Guitar Body Blanks : Honduran Mahogany: Swamp Ash: Alder : Honduran Mahogany Body Blanks: 1 3/4 x 14 x 21" One Piece: $148.00: ADD TO CART: 1 3/4 x 16 x 22" One Piece: $185.00: ADD TO CART: 1 3/4 x 18 x 24" One Piece: $237.00: ADD TO CART : 1 3/4 x 14 x 21" One Piece - … We did ash versus alder to hear the differences. reply; James. What are the tonal differences on solid body guitars, between Alder, Ash, Poplar, Basswood, Mahogany and Maple? "But the floods have not been receding, so these areas are underwater for two thirds of the year and it’s gotten to the point where we are sitting there for six or eight months waiting for ash we can’t get reliably. VINTAGE STRAT STYLE ELECTRIC GUITAR BODY*UNFINISHED* $89.50. Of the 30 or so alder tree varieties, the fast-growing red alder ranks among the world’s largest, reaching heights up to 100 feet. This is not a guitar commonly on the shelf, you have to order it. Ibanez GIO Series GSR180-BS - Electric Bass Guitar - Brown Sunburst . This is due both to its tonal response, (once again, very similar to Alder) as well as the fact that Basswood is much more readily available to the manufacturers in Asia. “It’s something none of us took lightly - ash is part of the DNA of what we do at Fender. Jun 17, 2014 #6 L. Lihns Member. How does an alder body guitar sound when the neck is all maple … Construction. Body, Neck and Fingerboard. The neck radius has also been flattened to a much more contemporary 9.5 inches. He wanted $450 for it and I wasn’t sure. Jun 17, 2014 #7 Ladera said: Hi Ron, You know your stuff about guitars. I know I want a flame maple top on the body, but I can't decide between mahogany or alder for the main body wood. Alder. Basswood: the principal wood used on many Japanese made instruments. Today it is a bit more expensive of a wood, relatively, and isn’t as common. Guitar World is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. If somebody plays that riff it brings a smile to people’s faces”, Doug Wimbish looks back at 5 of his best – and worst – bass sessions, Sick Riffs: Jacob Duarte teaches you the grungy drop-tuned riffs of Narrow Head's Hard to Swallow, Gibson expands the Slash Collection with the “Victoria” Les Paul Standard Goldtop. It works well for both natural clear coat stains and paint-grade guitar bodies. Its highs sizzle slightly, but are rarely harsh, and it offers a decent amount of sustain. "We’ve already been prototyping the heavier ash with chambering, we actually had Kenny Wayne Shepherd in recently to test the difference and he thought they sounded and felt great. Its sound is primarily a thicker, midrange tone. The lighter the guitar, the less tired the musician at the end of a concert. Alder (Alnus rubra): Alder is used extensively for bodies because of its lighter weight (about four pounds for a Strat® body) and its full sound. I like the warmth of mahogany but the balanced nature of alder. You tell me! Alder is a fast growing hardwood. Alder sustains well without weighing a ton, so it is very efficient. The wood produces more treble and good sustain, with less warmth than other guitar woods. You tell me! What are they, and where do they come from? Why those two? I am not a guitar wood expert, but I was wondering whether mahogany or alder was better for eletric guitar bodies. Alder Guitar Body Wood Questions Is Alder heavier than Swamp Ash? Finally agathis is a softer wood, and as such will give you a lighter guitar than other woods. You will receive a verification email shortly. In the '90s a friend of mine offered me a Tele Deluxe with the trem on it from '74 or '76. More specifically, Red … Up in the north, we don’t use that ash because it’s really heavy… we use the swamp ash which is down in the south. That’s why Leo Fender, creator of one of the most successful guitar lines today, used this knowledge to his advantage. "We just did Jimmy Page’s Dragon Tele, which had an ash body, so for reissues we’re going to need that wood. Alder has more of a peak. As you might guess, red alder is the one used for guitars in general — and Fender guitars in particular. it has an alder body though. Alder used to be very popular in the 1950s and 1960s, and many Fender guitars from that era are made from Alder. 10 watching. Inside the Luthier's Shop with BigDGuitars.com. guitar wood: Mahogany or Alder? Add to basket. "So we started using streaked ebony too, we actually get ours from him, its ebony with character. Find best dropshippers for UK alder guitar wood and buy cheap carved wood spoons on Dhgate website with high quality & fast delivery to UK. Generally speaking, alder lumber is slightly lower in weight than Swamp Ash lumber. "It’s like a recipe, you can make it time and time again, it will always be a little different. Alder is my workhorse wood, use it for almost all of my production runs. Finally, what have been your favorite guitars you’ve owned over the years? You can pull three or four guitars made on the same day and they will all feel and resonate differently… that’s the beauty of it. They would clear forests of ash to make room to grow other things. Alder is a medium weight, closed pore wood. For our purposes, Alnus rubra, or red alder, is the variety of interest. “When Bob Taylor switched from regular ebony to streaked ebony, he explained why - only 10% is truly black. These woods are commonly used for bass guitar bodies as they have very resonant qualities. Today we will be having a look at two of the most popular, specifically for the bodies of Fender guitars; ash and alder. In the world of musical instrument construction, red alder is valued for bass and electric guitar bodies as it has good tonal qualities and is very light for its size. For those who’ve never had the chance to directly compare, what are the main differences between ash and alder? Looking for a beginner guitar? Notably, alder also takes finishes well — with a light brown color and a tight grain that’s only slightly visible, it’s ideal for solid colors rather than the transparent finishes that look so good on ash. Ash was my tonal preference, it has a little more of a scoop in the mids. “First off, it’s important to say alder and maple are fast-growing and fast-replenishing woods, not like the tropical exotic hardwoods where there’s a lot more regulation and worry. The only way to know is to cut the tree down, so you might do that and then realize it’s not completely black, so then they leave the tree rotting on the floor of the jungle. But unfortunately due to the circumstances our ash production will be winding down.”. The grain pattern takes on a swirl, where the larger rings and sections around the outside enhance the strength of the body. “It’s eating its way through the forest and ash will be completely gone in a couple of years. I am thinking of upgrading to the now available USA model of this but hesitate because this color is only available in Alder wood. Mahogany is a medium-hard wood and is used in some bass guitar bodies. Alder: full and rich, with fat low-end, nice cutting mids, and good overall warmth and sustain. It just hit the point where we couldn’t put it in a production guitar telling everyone we can make something which we can’t get anymore. There are many varieties. Given how far Fender and ash bodies go back, this can’t have been an easy decision... Leo [Fender] used to say, ‘If I have $100 to make something, I’d spend $99 making it work and $1 making it pretty’. Since it grows from Southeast Alaska to Central California and almost always within 125 miles of the Pacific Coast, a plentiful and affordable supply existed practically in Fender’s backyard. “Right now my favorite is a player-grade, not 100% original, 1963 Jazzmaster and that thing sounds brilliant. Why have those two woods been used for so long in most Fender electric instruments? Thanks again, Steve. So ash is a wood that goes back to the very earliest days of Fender - Esquires, Broadcasters, ‘54 Strats and so on...”. Its other wood properties like its ideal color, wood structure, softness, reluctance to swelling and shrinkage make alder suitable for making guitars. If you are a do-it-yourselfer interested in finishing your own guitar body, there are some very important differences between Alder and Ash. The email you entered isn't valid. As for the quality of alder guitar wood, for your kind information, our collection of drift wood comes from some of the best sellers from China.In order to further simplify your shopping experience and make it more convenient, we feature smart filtering tools, so that you … Sire specialise in roasted maple necks. Alder wood is used in more guitar bodies than any other species. You need to be ready for the fact that different pieces of wood will stain differently, but this only adds to its beauty. CYBER WEEK SALE: Save 50% on a Monthly Plan. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Additionally, it machines well and is regularly available. It’s commonly harvested in Europe, Russia and North West Africa and is a popular choice for bass guitars due to its light to medium weight. $65.00. It grows throughout the northern hemisphere in the temperate zone. Roasted Alder 3 pc 22 x 15 X 1.78 Sanded Torrefied P Bass/Strat/LPBody Blank. This is how we adapt to that scarcity.”. Photo 4. Two or three pieces are glued together to make an instrument body, although there have been single-piece bodies. Especially right now, guitar players will be eager for something new and exciting to inspire them. The Alders color and structure of the wood, softness and reluctance to shrinkage and swelling makes it suitable building guitars. Red alder boasts many sonic advantages. When you are playing with a band and need to cut through, the alder has a better peak and allows you to claim more space in the song. Generally, heavier woods like mahogany resonate differently than a medium-bodied wood like alder and a lighter wood like basswood. At least we’ll have ash again, unlike chestnut which is totally gone. There was a decent amount of that stuff back in the day - we made some pine guitars and have even used it recently. Dating back to the late 1950's, this is the wood found in more 3 single coil, double cut-away, 25 1/2" scale length guitars than any other. Does body wood have an effect on the tone of an electric guitar? See similar items. While alder remains to be the most popular hardwood for Fender bodies, the American giant’s ties to ash cannot be understated - it was pretty much all they used for guitars and basses made between 1950 to 1956 and continues to sell successfully to this day. If we get ash, we’ll use it and make limited editions. Alder Lumber for Sale. All rights reserved. There are so many materials to use, we’re always looking because that’s in the spirit of Leo, looking around and making something that works great out of that. Guitar Tone Woods A tone guide for Guitar Tone Woods. I can’t seem to part with them. Use a spectrum analyzer, you say? All in all, swamp ash imparts articulation and presence with a great balance between brightness and warmth, and it looks great. What little Ash we are able to source will continue to be made available in select, historically appropriate vintage models, as supplies are available.”. It’s going to be a lot more limited.”. A small number of instruments with mahogany bodies were made in 1963 and 1964, and several mahogany-body instruments are made today. There are two types used to make guitar bodies—northern ash, and southern or “swamp” ash. Alder Tone Wood Guitar Body Blank quantity. It’s often used for furniture and cabinetry. Sometimes the stock pickup can only go so far in creating the tone you hear in your head. It's going to need refinishing and some nick/gouge fixing. Its closed grain makes this wood easy to finish. It’s relatively form stable during moisture variations. International Bidders- I cannot falsify customs documents. Alder is generally considered to be one of the "traditional" Stratocaster body woods. The result is a guitar with a complexity of tones. Are there any other steps Fender are taking to be environmentally conscious? Texas Residents must pay 8.25% State sales tax. Ash can be difficult to work with, though; the pores must be filled before finishes are applied, and two swamp ash guitar bodies are more likely to differ from one another tonally than two bodies made of alder, which has a tighter, more consistent grain. Mahogany is a medium-hard wood and is used in some bass guitar bodies. Due to its wide spread popularity it produces a very familiar tone, a "vintage tone." Since it grows from Southeast Alaska to Central California and almost always within 125 miles of the Pacific Coast, a plentiful and affordable supply existed practically in Fender’s backyard. Firstly bridge 'admittance' (conductance) is near zero in a solid body electric (but very high in an acoustic guitar), so very little string vibration is transferred through it to reach the solid body (many different lines of experiment from different labs show that). Let’s take a look at some of the most commonly used bass guitar tonewoods: Alder. ALDER bass guitar body blank, 44.2mm, 2 pcs. Alder 1-piece guitar body blank Cut to "tele" shape #2611. This is a fairly lightweight, light-colored wood from West Africa with excellent tonal qualities. We like the wood from the water, it’s more porous and that’s how we get the light swamp ash. Tough to go wrong with a guitar made from alder. This is not like it will go away for a couple of seasons and eventually grow back.”. So we’re looking at roasted pine -people worry about it being soft, though some species are softer than other. These woods are commonly used for bass guitar bodies as they have very resonant qualities. You’ll be well on your way to finding the right guitar for you. Thank you for signing up to Guitar World. "Sassafras is another, we just did an Eric Johnson sassafras Strat, which was based on his real one from the 50s. The beetle is still coming where there’s floods or not, so it’s really narrowing down. Guitars and basses with blonde finishes typically have ash bodies because the wood “takes” that particular finish especially well. For us, we’re looking at ways to store and hold what we have without worrying about beetles. “Over time, there’s this Emerald Ash Borer beetle that started up near Canada and Michigan, and it started destroying the ash. We also work directly with a custom alder sawmill that is able to produce alder … Messages 6,836. It’s just a matter of preference. I have basswood & alder guitars and I really don't think there's too much of a difference between them other than the basswood tends to be a smidge lighter and the basswood seems slightly softer (i.e. Joined: Mar 24, 2006 Messages: 113 Likes Received: 0 Trophy Points: 0 Location: Southern California. What else can be done to help save the future of ash-bodied guitars? If you are a do-it-yourselfer interested in finishing your own guitar body, there are some very important differences between Alder and Ash. The signature light tan colour with the spiral grain wood pattern is one of the signs to help recognise Alder. (020) 8551 5987. “Well, we’ve been racing this beetle, but then on the climate change front there are these floods that come in and recede, that’s when we go in and get the ash. We’ve discussed choosing pickups according to your style before. Our interactive gear guide, FindYour.Fender.com, matches you with the perfect model by learning about your sound & style. “This isn’t a decision we’re making to exit the ash business, it’s more like adapting to a new normal. Page 1 of 2 1 2 Next > fallen2289 New Metal Member. This advanced baking process rids the wood of imperfections and leaves it with a much darker, luxurious tint. Alder has a strong, clear, full-bodied sound, with beefy mids and excellent lows. Only a few things got away - there was a beautiful ‘64 Bandmaster that I got rid of, so I definitely miss that.”. You will get a happy unexpected prize! Bath He went to a lumberyard and woods like alder, ash and maple were easy to get. However, we are referring to hardwood lumber averages. Poplar and alder are very similar tonally. And with few exceptions, two mainstay woods have been used throughout Fender history for fashioning electric instrument bodies — alder and ash. So we’re figuring a few things out right now to allow ash to live a little longer and making the most of a scarce resource. $13.75 shipping. There was a problem. In this article I want to explore some possible guitar, pickup, style and tone choices. Due to its widespread popularity it produces a familiar tone. All Rights Reserved. Please deactivate your ad blocker in order to see our subscription offer, The rise, fall and rediscovery of the Fender Jaguar, How to set up a Les Paul: 7 essential tips, Jimmy Page: ”Whole Lotta Love was so fresh and it still is. The Alders color and structure of the wood, softness and reluctance to shrinkage and swelling makes it suitable building guitars. A uniform dark ebony is nice, but streaks are unique and nice, giving the instruments a signature look.”. Again, Leo Fender was a pragmatist, he would have said, ‘What have you got today?’ They both have a similar grain pattern to ash and are sonically similar. Generally, I try to keep everything I have. The updated Highway One's were introduced in 2006 and were discontinued in 2011. It’s about striking a balance and right now that means taking it out of regular production, from the Vintera series to the American Pro. Common uses of Alder wood are cabinetry, furniture and musical instruments. Other woods in use today on a very small number of Fender electric instruments include poplar, pine and koto. So in a blind test I couldn't tell one over the other? 90% of what gets cut down doesn’t get used. Ibanez GSRM20 GIO Series MiKro Short Scale Electric Bass Guitar - Walnut Flat Finish. Alder wood and its appearance. The wood is rarely wider than 6 due to the small size of the trees. Tough to go wrong with a guitar made from alder. Messages 5,574. Not a scientific test, you say? What exactly prompted the decision to stop using ash for your production-line models? Many people choose to burn the wood during the fall or spring when the outside temperatures are moderate. Description Additional information Reviews (0) Description. it has about 20-25 coats of tru-oil its really simple, and you can get a fairly high-gloss shine at the end. We have full chain of custody on all our woods, to know exactly where they came from right from the beginning, "We might space them out differently, some might get pushed a few months, but we’ll definitely have an assortment of new products in the second half of the year – we’re already well down the road with them.”. "We do a lot with reclaimed stuff. Trees woods and wildlife. ASH. ken374 Member. TELE STYLE ELECTRIC GUITAR BODY (Solid Alder Wood) +UNFINISHED+. It’s relatively form stable during moisture variations. Additional … Benefits charity. 53 sold. There are several kinds of ash trees; for this purpose, we’re talking the American ash. Alder bodies are resonant, and have a strong, clear, full-bodied sound, with beefy mid-range sounds and excellent lows. Alder / Guitar / Body blanks / Tonewood species. Up for sale is a 2008 Fender Road Worn'57 Sunburst Relic Stratocaster Guitar Body. “Yes, we are looking at other woods - there are some that are very on-brand for Fender, like pine. It is very full in the low midrange yet produces enough upper midrange to be clear and articulate. Lindo PDB Series Purple Dove Electric Bass Guitar With Carry Case and Cable. This item Epiphone Thunderbird-IV (Reverse), Electric Bass Guitar, Alder Wood Body, Maple Neck. So it’s a race against time, to some extent? Certainly, we weigh plenty of 8/4 Swamp Ash or Punky Ash wood with a lower density than 8/4 Alder. That’s why Leo Fender, creator of one of the most successful guitar lines today, used this knowledge to his advantage. Alder is a light, relatively soft and medium tough wood among the wood species. Fingerboard Material Rosewood. The first thing you have to … Guitar Body Material Alder People received them well and said they sound great, so that’s a path we’re going down. "Alder is a more consistent and occupying sound in the mix. Many guitar manufacturers as a substitute for alder are using this wood, as it is quite similar in tone. Like Alder, the tone of Ash is musical and well-balanced, with perhaps just a little more “pop”. Fender adopted alder for electric instrument bodies in mid-1956, probably for no other reason than it was there; it was readily available and more affordable than ash. Get the facts on Fender guitar body woods. Body Woods Alder Similar to Basswood, alder is lightweight with soft tight pores. “It’s interesting. We’d love to stay in touch, sign up for the Guitar World team to contact you with great news, content and offers. In the formative years of Fender, specifically from 1950 to 1956, the tone wood of choice for most (if not all) of the instruments produced by Leo Fender was ash. 3 … So you can see — and hear — why many ash-body Fender guitars of the ’50s are so highly prized. Thunderbird Vintage Pro Tobacco Sunburst. SKU: Alder Tone Wood Guitar Body Blank Category: Guitar Blanks. The P-90 also seems to soften up the tightness of the lows of alder and ash, but gives the lows of mahogany a slightly chewy character. Choosing Pickups to Match Your Guitar’s Wood. I guess as we all walk back out into the light and adjust our eyes, our idea is to continue our plan of releasing new products. I'm trying to acquire an alder strat-type body for a geetar build. We’re also looking at other ones, like western cedar. With a tight and hard grain pattern, Alder is very easy to finish and is found lurking under the lacquer finish on hundreds of different bass guitar models. "They’ve tried to do all kinds of things, introducing non-native species that would eat the beetles, pesticides, they’ve thrown everything at the wall and nothing has stopped the blight of this invasive pest that was not-native and I don’t know how it got here. When you’re looking over the specs of a Fender electric guitar or bass, one of the first things you’ll see listed is the kind of wood the body is made of. It was and still is a very good choice. $89.50. It’s not too warm or too bright but lies somewhere in the middle range. Many Japanese-made Fender instruments of the 1980s and ’90s had basswood bodies, but only very few models are made of basswood today. It’s very easy to work with and it glues well. The alder wood itself has a soft to medium quality toughness. Are there any other woods that could match the visual and tonal qualities of ash? Lam . Solid guitar body. Has a few blemishes you can see in the photos. But it's still Alder wood. Figured Maple Red Alder Wood Electric Bass Guitar Body Blank #5105 11 PC. The guitar comes with a Fender gig bag . Recently, we had six of Tom Morello’s guitars lined and we were going through them with Tom and each one sounded a little different, just because of how the neck and body come together. … Manufacturer: Wood For Guitar Price: €73.11. check more. The Janka Wood Hardness Test. Alder used to be the preferred wood to make clogs, and it was said that a few alder leaves placed in the shoes before a long journey would cool the feet and prevent swelling. Alder is the type of wood that has a uniform, small pore structure and is commonly used for guitar body construction because of the quality of being relatively light compared to other types of wood. Item and description: Alder: Pieces: Three: Measurements: 480mm x 347mm x 44.45mm: Planed and sanded 3 piece body blank. Fender used ash for electric guitar and bass bodies more or less exclusively from 1950 to mid-1956, and to the present continues to use ash on a relatively small number of instruments. It looks good with a sunburst or a solid color finish. Alder was especially in popular in the ’50s and ’60s, and is the body wood of choice for Fender. I bought this body to use with a vintage Japanese Neck I already had, but the guitar wont set up the way I like it, so it's up for re-sale. "When we were redesigning some guitars, we made these exact guitars out of the same everything, same necks, same parts - changing just one thing on each one. Shop is in view mode. Tonally, basswood sits between mahogany and alder. The Case Against Agathis. Not especially dense, it’s a lightweight, closed-pore wood that has a resonant, balanced tone brighter than other hardwoods, with a little more emphasis in the upper midrange. Alder wood and its appearance "Where we can get and store ash, we will, but it will probably become a more premium thing for the higher-end American and Custom Shop stuff.

Oral Pig Wormer, What Do Analytical Chemists Do, Cabbage, Kale Potato Soup, Punjabi Word For Eggplant, Blue Vervain Tincture, Newspaper Icon Transparent, Tresemmé Gel For Curly Hair, Just Bats Usssa, Nycha Customer Contact Center, Turkey Chili, Slow Cooker Recipe, Buffalo Cafe Menu, Drunk Elephant Protini Pump Stuck, Best Slide-in Electric Range Reviews,